Personal Mentorship: One-Day & Night New York City Photography Intensive with Steve Simon

An unforgettable, fully customized photographic experience — available on your schedule.

Imagine spending an entire day and night in New York City — photographing alongside world-renowned photographer and educator Steve Simon — with every moment designed to fast-track your growth and transform your photography. This is not just a workshop. It’s a private, one-on-one mentorship experience that combines personalized online sessions with a full-throttle, hands-on NYC shoot that will leave you with a stronger portfolio, sharper skills, and renewed creative confidence.

1. Online Portfolio Review & Creative Game Plan

We begin before you ever set foot in New York. You’ll submit up to 1,000 of your images, and Steve will carefully curate your strongest work. In a deep-dive online session, he’ll reveal what’s working, where you can push further, and how to amplify your unique visual voice. You’ll get a personalized shooting strategy for NYC, plus a “tech tune-up” covering camera setup, speed-boosting techniques, and best practices to make your gear feel invisible so you can focus entirely on seeing and capturing.

2. In-Person New York City Photo Shoot

Then comes the main event — a full day and night shooting in the world’s most photogenic city. From dawn’s quiet streets to the electric glow of Times Square at night, Steve will lead you through an ambitious, carefully curated itinerary of iconic landmarks and hidden gems. Every location is a lesson, every moment a chance to learn, experiment, and push yourself. You’ll shoot side-by-side with Steve, getting immediate, actionable feedback as you build a portfolio you’ll be proud to share.

3. Post-Workshop Critique & Masterclass

Once the images are made, we reconvene online for a final critique session. Steve will walk you through your NYC work, helping you understand what made certain shots stand out and how to strengthen the rest. You’ll leave with specific, concrete takeaways — plus advanced creative and technical strategies you can apply to every shoot going forward.

This is a rare opportunity to work intensively, one-on-one, with a photographer who has helped countless students break through creative plateaus. You pick the date — but spots are limited, and demand is high.

Reserve your mentorship today and turn one extraordinary day in New York City into a defining moment in your photographic journey. $1,250 for a private one-on-one experience — or bring 1–3 friends and pay just $1,000 per person.

An Intensive & Transformational Shooting Experience

This intimate masterclass is tailored specifically to you — your goals, your pace, and the time of year you visit. Together, we’ll design a full day of shooting that combines New York’s most iconic locations with distinctive neighborhoods and lesser-known spots that offer rich photographic potential.

Our itinerary may include architectural landmarks like The Oculus, Grand Central Station, or the Brooklyn Bridge, along with areas such as the High Line, Harlem, Fifth Avenue, Chinatown, Little Italy, the Lower East Side, Union Square, Washington Square Park, Ground Zero, Times Square, and other hidden gems. Throughout the day, you’ll receive ongoing guidance and feedback to help you capture strong, meaningful images.

We’ll also explore in and around Hudson Yards, ending with a breathtaking perspective of the city from The Edge. As the sun sets, we’ll cap the day with an unforgettable dinner at Electric Lemon, a seasonal American restaurant perched high above the city on the 24th floor of the Equinox Hotel. Here, amid sleek design and stunning skyline views, we’ll enjoy pristine, locally sourced cuisine in a serene setting — the perfect place to unwind, share stories, and reflect on a day of creative breakthroughs.

Street Philosophies

Step onto the streets of New York with Steve Simon and learn to see the city — and your photography — in a whole new way. Through targeted assignments, Steve will push you past fear and cliché into the territory of lyrical, poetic, and decisive moments that pulse with the city’s energy. You’ll discover the “rhythm of place,” navigate the laws and ethics of street photography, and develop the confidence to handle whatever situations arise.

Together, we’ll define a shooting strategy that sharpens your eye for daily life — from approaching strangers to layering your compositions, playing with juxtaposition, and knowing when to let the image come to you. You’ll explore how color or black and white can serve your vision, and most importantly, you’ll have fun doing it.

Street Tech

We’ll strip away complexity so your gear becomes an extension of your vision. Steve will share his minimalist approach to equipment and the quick-response shooting techniques that make capturing fleeting moments second nature. Whether you use mirrorless, DSLR, rangefinder, compact, or even your phone, you’ll learn to work faster and smarter — mastering tools like zone focusing, shooting from the hip, using live view, flash, and camera support with confidence. Steve will also walk you through his streamlined Lightroom workflow so you can finish strong.

Why Now...

This is more than a street photography workshop — it’s a complete mentorship that will sharpen your skills for any genre of photography. You’ll leave with a compelling New York City portfolio, a new level of creative confidence, and strategies you’ll use for the rest of your photographic life. Dates are flexible, but spots are limited — secure yours today and turn the streets of New York into your most inspiring classroom yet.

Testimonials

While putting together my street photography book, I felt I needed an editor that I could trust because I knew they would be helping me with my decision-making process.  I was familiar with Steve Simon because I used to listen to ‘This Week In Photography’ religiously when I first started getting into taking pictures.  He was my favorite personality on the show because he always seemed to have such a thoughtful and empathetic angle to the topics of the day.  That lead me to read his book, “The Passionate Photographer,” (also great) and I have tried to incorporate what I learned from it into my approach as an artist.  Finally, it was Steve’s eye and impressive work as a street photographer himself that solidified my choice to use him as a consultant for my project.

I’m so glad that I did!  Steve was as gracious and thoughtful as I always imagined he would be.  He was able to look at my work and shake up how I viewed it.  I told him all sorts of wild theories and wonky philosophies about how I saw my work, and he as able to sort through all the fluff and get me to focus on the core of my message.  He did this with sensitivity and tact.

And through it all, he was more amiable and responsive as I could have reasonably expected.  I ended up paying for five separate sessions because his input was that valuable.  Our conversations allowed me to save countless hours debating random minutiae with myself (that would have probably ended up nowhere and being a big waste of time), and our time together fostered an accelerated growth in me as an artist.  In less than a month of interaction, I feel like I am in an entirely different place as a photographer, and I feel that Steve is a significant reason for that. 

I can’t recommend Steve highly enough!

Tony Le

I started working with Steve because I wanted to move from making individual pictures to working on photographic projects. Our first couple of sessions had an immediate impact on my photography in two ways.  First, Steve looked at a sample of my work, selected several strong images, and showed me what made them work.  We also talked about the images that didn’t work as well.  We dug into my picture making process and explored what I could do differently to increase the number of strong images I make. The sessions are interactive, so I can ask questions to be sure I understand Steve’s feedback.  Second, Steve looked at the strong images as a group and showed me how they could be the start of a coherent body of work. I really appreciate that he helped me begin to identify and develop my personal vision.  HIs questions and comments helped me sharpen the focus on what my project can be. In each session, Steve’s thoughtful suggestions and encouragement are helping me make steady progress on my goal of being a better photographer.  

Larry Felton

Steve Simon is a gifted instructor and also has the amazing ability to help you understand what you have unconsciously captured but may not have seen. You can then embrace that visual voice/style with direction and clarity. He is genuine and focused on your growth as a photographer … which is why I and so many others come back to his workshops and mentoring sessions.

Denise Pensky

It is said that people tend to emotionally support and defend that which they have created. Nowhere is that truer than for photographers in the pursuit of intended audiences for their photographs. We can subconsciously become prejudiced arbitrators when it comes to evaluating, editing, selecting and sequencing our own images. The private mentorship and critique sessions I’ve participated in with Steve Simon have been invaluable in helping me to cast off the emotional baggage attached to my photos allowing me to see them as they are and how they may relate to each other to form coherent collections greater than the sum of their parts. 

 Owen Seidenberg

I would never be where I am professionally without great mentoring.  Thus, I knew the very best way for the quality of my photography to progress was to find an exceptional photographer as a mentor. Steve Simon has delivered big time…..with insight, skill, incredible editing ability and, of course, passion for the art.  Give him a try, it is a great investment.  

Jeff Carson

I participated in one of Steve’s Havana workshops, and recently had a online zoom discussion with him.  He has a comprehensive knowledge of Nikon’s equipment as well as the best photographic techniques to capture great images. Moreover, he is an easy and fun guy to talk with because, clearly, he is genuinely interested in helping others enjoy photography.   

Stephen Handley

“What a fabulous experience. I learned more about photography in one week than I had in 5 years. Steve is very knowledgable about the technical side as well as composition. He is very patient, gives excellent feedback and will work one on one with you on any photography subject you want. I asked him for help on night photography and at 10 PM he was out on the streets of Havana with me with step by step instructions on how to take the shot. 5 star plus rating!!”

Gary Niederpruem, Chicago

“Best workshop I’ve ever taken! Steve is not only a great photographer, he is also a terrific teacher. He is patient and very hands- on. In some workshops the instructor sends students out to shoot after a short lecture–Steve goes out with his students, coaching them throughout the process. His course is well organized and covers diverse topics. He is funny and engaging and generous with his time and knowledge. I had SO MUCH fun and am ready to sign up for the next one. Highly recommended!”

Anna Blanco, New York City

"My week in Steve’s Street Shooting workshop challenged me tremendously. There’s nothing like taking your work apart and putting it back together with new vision to make you a better photographer. If you take this workshop, I guarantee you will see the world differently at the end."

Anne Dunford, Ithaca, New York

"Steve’s passion for photography is contagious and his teaching abilities and knowledge extraordinary! I highly recommend this workshop to anyone interested in photography."

Paul Lavergne, San Juan, PR

“Participating in the NYC Street Photography Workshop was an enriching and exhilarating experience. It challenged me to step out of my comfort zone to improve my skills. Steve’s curriculum and hands on approach offered me an opportunity to learn new techniques, add some creativity and visualize subject matter from another perspective. Each day presented abundant photo opportunities, resulting with the capture of some amazing images, exceeding my greatest expectations.”

Chapman Solomon, Mountain View, CA

"Not only is Steve a great photographer, he is also a caring, compassionate person as well. He is constantly trying to help participants achieve their photographic goals in a gentle, caring, and sincere manner. Sadly, the critiques of my work were very helpful. Steve was right-on in terms of his suggestions to better my work. The totality of the workshop was terrific, primarily because the parts were all excellent as well. Choice of shooting locations, image reviews, suggestions, videos shown, and galleries visited were all great. Steve also promoted wonderful interactions among the participants. The venue was perfect for the workshop. We could spread out, leave our things there, use the facilities, and eat the goodies provided. You know you’re in good hands with Steve! An outstanding workshop!"

Stephen Sholl, New York City

"This is an outstanding workshop, led by a world-class photographer. It is impossible to spend time in a room with Steve Simon and not be inspired to get out there and make great images …I had high expectations and you exceeded them…Steve is very personable, articulate and passionate about photography, very welcoming with a warm, engaging personality. Steve’s style is outstanding. I knew of Steve from the TWiP podcast and would have attended if he was talking about how to watch paint dry…”

Steve Lavelle, London

"I just spent the last three days with Steve Simon, What a wonderful experience, the best time spent in a workshop ever. Steve is a perfectionist, every presentation not only had spectacular photography but also the perfect music to enhance the mood, a roller coaster of emotions. He cannot hide his journalistic background every single image tells a story. His technique is flawless; his teaching patience unparalleled. I am eager to start a new chapter of my photography applying what Steve taught me in the last few days."

Oscar Piñeyro, Dallas